SOLAR-DESALINATION PROSPECTS FOR THE SULTANATE OF OMAN

Climatic data (for the three years 1988-1990) have been surveyed for v arious locations in Oman and hence the prospects there for the solar d esalination of water have been assessed. In particular, the behaviour of a solar still on Masirah Island (located at 20.67 degrees N) has be en predicted The use of average monthly insolation data, measured for 3 years from 1988 to 1990, enabled the calculation of how much of this radiation is incident on the still's inclined transparent cover. Assu ming (pessimistically) that only 50% of this transmitted radiation sti mulates the evaporation process, the rate of distillate is predicted t o be approximately 2 litres day(-1) m(-2) of the inclined cover. A pec uliar feature of the Masirah climatic conditions is the drop, in July, of the amount of insolation received at ground level per day. This ph enomenon is associated with the monsoon season experienced in the sout h-eastern part of Oman: the monsoon results in a large amount of dust suspended in the atmosphere, which reduces the amount of direct solar radiation transmitted to the ground. Drizzle and mist are the causes o f the analogous drop in the amount of solar radiation received per day at ground level at Salalah and surrounding mountains in the Dhofar re gion of Oman. Because of the shortage of potable water in a country wi th an abundance of solar energy, it is probable that solar desalinatio n is likely to play a vital role in the ultimate energy and environmen tal strategy for achieving a sustainable and prosperous Oman.